Little Disaster
by Jinxypoo
Summary: Rated M just incase. I wrote this first chapter while I was going through a hard time.   Shera dies during child birth leaving Cid to take care of a little girl. With Vincent's help, can he offer her some sort of normal life? Chapter two now up!
1. Little Disaster

It is strange how one phone call can seem to up heave the world onto it's side and they always seem to come at stupid o'clock in the morning. Vincent was woken up at three in the mourning by such a call from Tifa.

He had been staying in Kalm for awhile, having just finished a mission with the Turks for the WRO. The shrill ring of his cell phone pulled him out a particularly strange dream about a sunflower which he didn't bother trying to remember. He grabbed the phone with a grunt, sitting up slowly to glare at the screen which flashed Tifa's name and the time above it that said 3 A.M. Knowing that if he'd just let the answering machine take it, she'd call over and over till he picked up, so he flipped the phone open.

"This better be good." He hissed into the speaker.

"Vincent, where are you?" Tifa asked, voice low and wavering like she had been crying.

"Kalm. Why?"

"I'm going to have the Highwind come pick you up."

"Tifa, what is going on?"

"Shera went into labor last night..."

"Oh, thats great, but can't it wait?"

"Vincent...She died. Cid needs you."

Vincent felt his lungs freeze and something inside of him broke. Shera had been...A wonderful woman. She and Cid and taken him in during a very hard time, when he had no where to go. He had been apart from their family, so many happy moments had been shared in their home, hell he had been Cid best man at their wedding! Now Shera, who had made Cid smile, made Vincent many late night meals, was dead after giving birth to the child she had decided to Lucrecia, his god child.

"Oh my Gods..." Vincent whispered.

"They'll be there in an hour."

XVCVCVCVCVCVCX

The ride to Rocket Town was quiet as Vincent stood in a corner of the deck on the Highwind, the crew oddly quiet. During his time living with Cid and Shera, Vincent had become apart of the crew, working for Cid on some jobs that required Cid and the crew to god to some dangerous places. Cid had always said that he felt better having Vincent with him at those times. Normally the crew was lively and chatty, but at that moment an oppressive silence hovered all over them. Everyone was feeling the loss of Shera.

"We gunna' be landin' soon sir." One of the crew members said. Vincent looked at the man and remembered that his name was Seth. Seth was a tall young man of no older then 19. He was dark skinned, with dark hair, chocolate eyes and accent that told you he spent most of his youth, if not all of it, in Costa Del Sol.

"Alright." Vincent nodded, "Thank you."

Seth hovered a bit, seeming to want to say something and not sure to how to say it.

"Sir...I..."

"Seth...It's okay. You don't have to say it." Vincent said softly, "We all feel it."

The crew started to murmur a bit, all nodding and agreeing in their own way.

"Shera will be missed and we need to be there for the Chief." Vincent sighed and then placed his un-clawed hand on Seth's head, "You understand?"

"Yus." Seth nodded, "We're all glad dat you came sir. You are, after all, da Chief's best friend."

Vincent looked at the crew of the Highwind. Cid had made it very clear the first day that Vincent came upon the Highwind after the Meteor incident that the crew where to take orders from the demon gunman just like they would from Cid himself. Hell he even put the crew at Vincent's disposal after the Shera was fixed up and had a crew. Vincent didn't often call on the Highwind because it did still make deliveries all over the world, but there where times, while working for the WRO, that Vincent needed the Highwind to pick him up or take him somewhere.

The Highwind landed smoothly outside of Rocket Town. The town had expanded in the four years since the Meteor fiasco. There where more people, more houses, a hospital, a chemist, and a large school that held elementary and Middle school students, though the children still had to travel to the large Boarding School in Costa Del Sol for high school. The town was now a bustling hot spot rather then the boring little town that it once had been.

"Da Chief is at da hospital." Seth told Vincent as they got off the ship.

"Why?"

"Da kid wud born a bit underweight." Seth sighed, "Dhey gunna keep da kid till she put's da weight on."

Vincent nodded and headed for the hospital.

"You and the crew go home, okay? Get some rest. It's been a long night." Vincent called back at Seth.

"Yus sir! Take care of da chief!"

Vincent hated hospitals. He hated the smell of them, all the white and even the yellow plastic chairs in the waiting rooms. They reminded him too much of his past, the sterilized labs of metal tables, needles, and knives that cut his skin like butter. But he would endure the memories, Cid needed him. Tifa, Cloud and Barret where in the waiting room when he arrived. Cloud had his face in his hands, white Tifa placed and Barret sat with his knee bouncing nervously.

The moment Tifa saw Vincent she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh Vin!" She sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks, "It's horrible! He won't say anything, he only sits and looks at Luci in the incubator."

"I'll talk to him. Don't worry. Is the baby okay?" Vincent asked, gently patting Tifa's back with his normal hand.

"She's small, but they say she's stable for now." Tifa sniffed, pulling back to look at Vincent, "Oh Vin, I am so glad you are here."

Vincent nodded, giving her one last gentle hug, "What room is he in?" He asked.

"113." Cloud said as Tifa went over to Barret and sat on his lap, hugging his neck.

Vincent found the room with little trouble and opened the door to see Cid in a chair, body slumped and limp. He appeared to be asleep. Sighing, Vincent walked over to the incubator to see the small child. She was pink, her tiny hands clutching at the air as her legs slowly making kicking motions. Atop her head was a shock of blonde hair, hair the same colour as Cid's. The incubator was made of clear plastic with two holes that had black rubber gloves attached so that the parents could touch the child. Sighing, Vincent slowly pushed his normal hand into one of the gloves.

The girl grabbed one of his long elegant fingers in her tiny hand, holding it tightly to her little body.

"What a strong grip." He muttered.

"She is my kid." Cid muttered, voice gravely.

"Yes, she is." Vincent agreed, not surprised that Cid was awake. He was sure this was the first time Cid had talked in hours from how horse his voice was.

Vincent looked at all the tubes stuck to her skin, tubes that kept her alive and warm.

"Poor thing. A pin cushion." Vincent whispered.

"Doc's say that they're gunna feed her through tubes fer now. She's too little ta latch on anything."

"How early was she born?" Vincent asked.

"A month." Cid sighed, putting his hands over his eyes.

Vincent gently got the baby to let go of his finger and then turned to look at Cid.

"Shiva Vin..." Cid sobbed, "There was so much blood. So much. And she was in so much pain."

Vincent walked over to Cid and crouched in front of him, placing his human hand on Cid's knee.

"Cid...Oh Cid." Vincent sighed, placing his metal claw gently on Cid's cheek, making sure not to nick the man.

Cid pulled his hands away from his face, tears streaking down his stubbled cheeks, large bags making his eyes look almost dead in a strange owlish way.

"I couldn't...Do anything."

"I know. I am sorry. But it isn't your fault." Vincent whispered, "Don't do this blame game like I did. Look at the mess it got me in."

Cid gave a loud sniffle in response.

"Grieve for her yes, but also live for her, for Luci. She needs you." Vincent commanded.

"But I dunna know tha first thing about takin' care of a baby." Cid objected.

"I'll help. I've got a bit of experience. I had a younger cousin I took care off. I'll be there for you as long as you need me." Vincent said, giving Cid a small, sad, yet hopeful smile. "We can do this together."

With a nod, Cid took Vincent's hand hand, gently squeezing it.

XVCVCVCVCVCVCX

Cid let out a frustrated growl.

"Come on. They can't feet ya on tubes forever. Ya gotta eat." He hissed, trying to put the bottle nipple into Luci's mouth, but she turned her head away with a small whine. Vincent let out a snort as he watched Cid fight with the fussy baby. She appeared to have her father's stubbornness. Tifa giggled a bit, shaking her head. It had been a month now, a long hard month of constant hospital visits, staying up late and dragging an exhausted Cid home away from the hospital.

Luci had gotten big quickly, getting strength and getting very vocal. Only problem was that she wouldn't latch onto the bottle nipple to feed. She couldn't go home until she did. The nurses and Cid both fought with her to try and get her to latch on. They tried everything to get her to, but she'd just turn her head away and fuss.

Vincent got up from his seat on the other side of the room, his lean body clad in his normal black, leather clothes, though his tattered red cape hung up on a hook and his mechanical arm laying on a near by table.

"Let me see the bottle Chief." Vincent said, holding out his hand. Cid huffed and handed it over.

"Ya can try, but she's pretty damn set on not having any."

Vincent pressed the nipple of the bottle to his skin and smiled.

"Just as I thought...Cold." He said and then popped into his mouth much to the shock of Tifa and Cid.

"What the hell are you doing Vin?" Cid demanded.

"Warming it." Vincent said around the bottle, waiting for a moment before pulling it out his mouth, wiping the wetness off on his sleeve and then handed the bottle back, "Okay, try it now."

Cid looked skeptical as he pressed the bottle nipple to Luci's lips. She let out a small humming sound, like she was contemplating what was at her lips. After a moment, she opened her small mouth and let the bottle in. Soon she was happily suckling away.

"Holy shi-"

"Now Cid, you've got to watch your language around the baby!" Tifa giggled as Vincent laughed his normal breathy laugh.

"Oh yeah." Cid muttered and sighed, "Well at least we've got her eatin' now."

"Yes. We'll talk to the doctor and see if we can take her home soon." Vincent smiled.

"Kay." Cid nodded, gently patting Luci as she happily suckled away.

"Awww! She's so cute." Tifa squealed, the door swinging open and Cloud walked in with a plastic bag.

"Hey everyone." Cloud said, holding up the bag, "Brought lunch."

"Oh good. We've gotten Luci to eat lunch too!" Tifa smiled, "So what ya bring us? And where is Barret?"

"Oh Marlean and Denzel wanted to check out the shops, so he's with them. I've brough some hamburgers, a chicken salad for Vin, a lemon aid for you, some tea for Cid and Vincent, and bottled water for me." Cloud said with a smile.

"Yum yum!" Tifa said, clapping her hands togeather.

"Ya all start without me. Looks like she might want a second bottle the way she's going." Cid laughed.

"It means she's healthy." Vincent said, nodding. Luci made a cooing sound as she greedily gulped down more milk, swaddled tight in a thick blue blanket.

"Yeah. She's gotten so plump." Tifa agreed, "She'll be out in no time."

"It was touch and go there for a bit, but she'll be fine now." Cloud said, handing out the food to Tifa and Vincent.

Cid smiled a bit and noticed the bottle was empty. He pulled it out of her mouth, watching her closely as her face twisted as if she was about to cry.

"Oh come on...What now?" He sighed, awaiting the loud wailing that was sure to ensue. Surprisingly a very different sound erupted from the small child. Opening her toothless mouth, a loud belch rolled forth and then she pulled a hand free and started to suck on her little fingers.

Silence settled in the room for a moment, then Cloud laughed. Tifa and Vincent soon joined in too.

"Wow, she belches like her father!" Cloud chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well strike me down and call me a woman, she sure does." Cid laughed, grinning down at his baby girl, her brown eyes twinkling.

Vincent had become quite efficient at holding Luci with one arm. He feared that his clawed prosthetic would cut through her so he took it off each time he entered the hospital room. He sat with her in his arm as Cid went to talk to the doctor about when she would be let out. Vincent often marveled at how strong she was and learned rather quickly to tie his hair back, lest she grab it and yank it out. One time he was pretty sure she had given him a bald spot.

She was currently shaking a rattle that Tifa bought, the colourful toy making her giggle with it's rattling noise. She was growing ever more active each day, the nurses often commenting that she was going to be athlete when she got older. Vincent often envisioned a blonde little girl kicking a soccer ball right into Cid's crotch. Vincent hoped that he would be around to see it. After all, he was only going to be around for as long as Cid needed him. Once the blonde got his bearings, Vincent would leave and get back to his missions.

Speaking about the WRO, Reeve had stopped by a few times to see the baby and to mourn for Shera also. He had brought with him a Cait Sith stuff toy with a squeaker that sat on a table near by. Luci loved squeaking it so much that Cid had to pull it out of her hands before he went insane. After that she proved the nurses, who had earlier said she might have weak lungs, wrong.

Vincent found himself becoming more attached to her each moment he was near. He was becoming closer to Cid too. The two had crashed on the couch a few nights before, Cid having stayed up two nights in a row because Luci had started coughing and Vincent stayed up with him. Vincent had given Cid a hard smack on the second night, the both of them very agitated and Vincent had snapped. He drug Cid home with minimal effort, threatening to let Chaos rip him to shreds and then threw him on the couch in Cid's living room. He plopped down on it and within five minuets was asleep. When he woke up the next afternoon, him and Cid where slouched onto the armrest of the couch, Cid's arm around his shoulders.

Something warm had bloomed in his chest as he watched Cid's sleeping face, but he did not dwell on it. It had only been a month since Shera had died and only half an hour after Vincent had woken up that Cid's sleep became restless and plagued with a nightmare about her death. Sighing, Vincent leaned back on his chair and looked down at Luci.

"Your father will be the death of me." He muttered.

"Damn straight!" Cid said loudly as he stood in the door way, "She can be let out tammara if she can keep on eating on her own." Cid said with a grin.

"Good." Vincent smiled.

Cid swept in, hooking his hands behind his head. Behind him he had left the door open a bit. Vincent raised and eye brow but Cid gave a slight shake of the head. Behind the door peered in a little boy of no older then 4. His skin was a light chocolate colour and his eyes where an almost violent blue. Vincent frowned a bit and tilted his head to the side. Cid just simple sat down and said nothing. After a bit, the boy stepped in. He hovered there for a bit and then scooted closer.

"Is...Is that really a baby?" He asked, voice soft.

Vincent looked at Cid and then nodded.

"Yes. Would you like to see her?"

"Yes!" The boy nodded and ran over. Vincent watched as the boy peered at Luci with wide eyes. Luci gurgled as the boy held out his hand. Quickly, Luci grabbed a hold of one of the fingers offered to her in a tight grip, the boy's skin darker then hers.

"Wow...She grabs hard." The boy gasped.

"Yes. Don't let her near your hair. She pulls." Vincent warned him. "So...What is your name."

"I am Reed." He said with a smile.

"You know you shouldn't talk to strangers." Vincent warned her.

"I know. But daddy said it was okay." He said sheepishly.

"Oh?" Vincent said, looking over at Cid.

"Rude is here. He got shot." Cid shrugged, "Him and Reno where close to here and she came to visit with the king brat."

"Shin-Ra is here?" Vincent asked, frowned.

"Yeah. He's checking up on his men I guess." Cid shrugged.

"Uncle Rufus gave me a loli pop." Reed said with a smile while Luci cooed.

"He wanted to see a baby." Cid said with a shrug. "I couldn't resist that face."

Vincent looked a bit shocked for a moment and then smiled.

"That's fine. I understand." Vincent nodded as Reed played with Luci's hand.

"I didn't know Rude had a child." Vincent said, waving Reed goodbye as he left with the president.

"Yeah, me either. Apparently he slept with some red head during a one nighter and ended up with Reed. He sends half his pay check to them each month."

"Hmm..." Vincent muttered and then looked down at Luci, "So how long do you think you'll need me around?" Vincent asked.

Cid looked at Vincent with a frown, "What the fuck are you talking about?" He asked.

"Well...I just wanted to know how long you wanted me stay is all." Vincent said softly, rocking Luci as she started to yawn.

"Yer making it sound like I am fuckin' using you. If ya want ta leave, jus' say so." Cid growled.

"What?" Vincent gasped, looking up with a shocked face, "It's not that. I mean...Aren't I imposing?"

"Is that all yer worried about? Fuck no yer imposing! Hell, if it wasn't fer you I'd not have her eating, would I? Anyways...It's better havin' ya around." Cid muttered, running a nervous hand through his hair.

Vincent watched Cid for a long time till Cid gave him a huffy look.

"What? What is it?" He asked with a growl.

"Can...Can I stay?"

"Didn't I jus' say ya could?"

"I meant...Can I move in?"

It was Cid's turn to be taken aback.

"Ya want ta move in?"

"If that isn't a problem. I'd like to help take care of my godchild." Vincent admitted, looking down at Luci, "You see...I always wanted a family, to raise a child. As a Turk, I gave up on that dream, and then later on...After what Hojo had done to me, it seemed even farther out of reach. But now, if you'd let me, I'd like to help you take care of Luci."

"Shit Vin..." Cid growled, scratching the back of his head and looked away from Vincent, "Sure ya can move in. An' hell, yer about the only one I trust wif her. I...Need you. I'm no good with...Words an' emotions an' shit. You are. There is gunna be things I don't know and that you do. Hell, I dunna know what the fuck I'm gunna do when she starts talking...Hell, I dunna wanna even think about what the fuck I am gunna do when she's a teenager." Cid sighed.

Vincent stared at Cid for a bit and then smiled, a very true and happy smile that wasn't often seen on his face. Cid's breath left his lungs followed with a warmth in his chest as that smile spread across the demon-possessed man's face. After the warm feeling melted away, a strange guilt followed. How...How could he even think about his best friend like that only a month after his wife's death? Cid shook his head, folded his arms with a huff.

"Shit Vin. Like I'd leave ya out in the fuckin' cold anyways!"

XVCVCVCVCVCVCX

Getting Luci home was the easy part, but it was a good two weeks before she would sleep through the night. Some nights Cid had to put the two way baby monitor in Vincent's room because he was too tiered. It didn't help that he kept on having nightmares. Vincent often found him awake anyways, either drinking tea, eating, watching T.V. or all three. After settling Luci down for the night, Vincent would sit up with Cid till the man would go to bed. Though it didn't help that Luci woke them up at 5 in the mourning.

After she started to sleep through the night, they thought things would get better, even through she woke up wailing at five to be fed. Cid still had a nightmare or two through the week, but he seemed to settle into the swing of things. That was until she started to crawl.

It was lucky that Barret had the baby safe gates left from when Marlene was a baby. Tifa also bought them some child proof latches for the cabinets in the kitchen and the bathroom. Cid had spent two days baby proofing everything as Vincent set up a play pen for her to stay in.

"She loves to play with those blocks." Vincent commented, watching Luci stack the blocks with happy gurgles.

"She's gunna be a mechanic like her daddy, jus' you watch." Cid grinned, latching a gate to the door frame to the kitchen.

"I don't doubt it." Vincent nodded, "How are things going with work?" He asked. Cid had set up the Shera and Highwind to work without him so that he could look after Luci. No one was too sure when Cid would go back to work, but for now, they let it be.

"Tha Shera is out with Reeve an' his guys. They found sum new labs under Midgar and Kalm an' are checkin' them out." Cid sighed.

"I see. They're going to call me about it eventually." Vincent sighed, leaning back on the couch. Vincent had been enojoying the peace with Cid and Luci, but he knew it would end eventually. Someone had to go and deal with the monsters attacking different towns and Villages. Cloud and Yuffie couldn't do it alone for too much longer.

" I know." Cid muttered and sighed, "We'll be fine without ya fer a bit."

Vincent knew this, but couldn't help worrying about them.

"I know. I won't be gone for more then a week. I still can't help but worrying you'd do something stupid." Vincent teased.

"Hey! I ain't that big of a fuckin' idiot!" Cid yelled.

"Keep on swearing and she'll pick up on it. You want her to be some sort of lady someday, right?" Vincent smirked as he lifted her out of the play pen when she made grabby hands at Vincent.

"Hell no! I want her to be as rude and unlady like as I can git her!" Cid growled, "I ain't gunna let any boy have her."

"Jealous already." Vincent laughed, "I can't blame you. I am already thinking about ways to scare off possible suitors."

"You should sic Galian Beast on 'em!" Cid laughed, giving the gate one last shake to make sure it was on properly and then got up, stepped over to the gate and walked over to Vincent in the living room.

Luci was playing with Vincent's hair, throwing it up and watching it flutter around the gunman's face. She then squealed and clapped her hands together in joy.

"We should worry less about future boyfriends and more about her walking. She's already trying to pull herself up." Vincent said, smiling as she cooed at him.

"Damn...She's going to be running about." Cid sighed.

"Yes. Yes she is." Vincent nodded, "That means she's going to be able to run _into things._"

"Oh damn. If she's anything like...Well...Like Shera..." Cid god a sad look in his eyes, "She's going to run into a lot of things."

"We might have to pad the walls." Vincent joked and then looked up at Cid, "But as long as we have an eye on her, it should be fine."

"Yeah. I'm going to put a gate on the stairs." Cid said softly, getting up and Vincent just sighed. When Cid was gone, Vincent looked at Luci. "He's got a long way to go. He still misses her very much, but I am sure that in time and if we work together my dear, we can help heal him."

Later that night Cid sat down in his living room, lighted only by a lamp in the corner. Toys where scattered in the play pen and a story book rested on the coffee table by the bottle of whiskey that Cid at taken out. He shook his head as he saw that it was a Red Riding hood pop up book that Rude gave him before leaving the hospital. He poured himself some whiskey as Vincent stepped into the room.

"I see you've taken out the good stuff tonight. Beer not cutting it?" Vincent asked as he walked over to the locked cabinet in the corner. Pulling out a key, he opened it and took out his prosthetic. He easily snapped it back on and then sat down by Cid.

"Why do ya keep that thing off all day? Ain't it a pain in the ass ta do things?" Cid asked, taking a sip of whiskey.

"It is a dangerous thing. I could easily cut Luci with it." Vincent said softly and then held his hand out, "You'd better pour me a drink too."

Cid chuckled and handed Vincent a glass. "Yeah yeah yeah."

"So...Is it because of what you said earlier that you are drinking now?" Vincent asked, taking a drink and then coughed, "Shit! Ack! I forgot...You sip this..." He panted as Cid patted his back.

"You don't drink much, do ya?" Cid chuckled and then sighed, "Yeah. I guess it is. She jus'...Looks so much like her."

"I know." Vincent agreed, careful to take a small sip this time, "It's going to get worse as she gets older, but you can't let it effect you this badly. She doesn't need a drunk for a father." Vincent pointed out.

"I know, I know. Jus' let me this time." Cid growled.

"Only this time." Vincent agreed.

It was two glasses of whiskey later that Vincent was drunk and giggling.

"Geeze Vin! You don't drink often, do ya." Cid commented, watching the giggling man.

"Nope." Vincent chuckled, his pale face flushed as a smile was plastered on it. He looked younger then he did in awhile. Cid always thought of him as older because of the tortured look in his eyes, but now there was only glee in his sparkling, ruby eyes.

"I guess I should stop drinking in a bit. Dunna need tha both of us drunk." Cid sighed.

"Hmm...Guess not, but you seem like you have so much fun when you're drunk." Vincent commented. Finishing off his third whiskey and then giggled again, "I remember the time you danced with that lamp shade on your head just to get Cloud to smile."

"Oh yeah...Didn't Yuffie take a photo?" Cid asked.

"Uh huh! It was my Christmas card!" Vincent laughed and then suddenly sighed, "You know that was the first card I'd ever gotten since my 15th birthday?"

"...Really?" Cid asked, putting his drink down.

"Yeah...After I entered Shin-Ra and jointed the Turks...I was erased from the world, so to speak. My parents never contacted me since the day I entered Midgar."

"Why'd you join?" Cid asked.

"My father found me making out with another boy." Vincent sighed, playing with an ice cube with one of his golden claws.

"Ya where making out wif a guy?" Cid exclaimed.

"I'm bi-sexual. I lean more to women." Vincent said with a shrug, "Anyways, my father disowned me that night, I packed my bags and headed right for Shin-Ra."

"Damn..." Cid muttered, leaning back and looked at the ceiling.

"Do...Do you hate me now?" Vincent asked, looking worriedly over at Cid, knowing that he had probably said too much.

"Hell naw! I just...Wasn't expecting that." Cid sighed, "I've been guilty of foolin' around like tha' when I was younger. 'Course, I've not done that sort of thin' in years."

"Me either...With anyone of any gender." Vincent sighed, "Over thirty years without sex can drive someone crazy." He admitted.

"No shit!" Cid laughed, "You wanted to die for a bit, didn't you? Back in the beginning when we where shipin' around ta save tha world."

"Yeah." Vincent nodded.

"Before we fought Sephiroth...When Cloud told us to go find what we where fighting for, I stood on a cliff edge with my DeathPenalty to my head." Vincent muttered and pulled his knee's up to hug his legs to his chest.

"I know. I watched you for hours." Cid sighed, "I thought you where gunna do it for a bit and before I could go up and stop you, you dropped the gun."

"Wha-?" Vincent looked baffled.

"Yeah...I know, I should of left you alone, but I was worried!" Cid explained, scratching the back of his head. Vincent stared at him for a bit.

"Thank you." Vincent smiled and wrapped his arms around Cid's neck. Cid's face flushed and he patted Vincent's back awkwardly.

"Uh yeah...No problem." Cid muttered.

"Cid..."

"Yeah?"

"Quit being a hard ass and hug me back. I'm drunk, I won't remember this well anyways." Vincent pouted. Shaking his head, Cid grudgingly wrapped his arms around Vincent.

They stayed like that for a bit before Cid relaxed totally and leaned back with Vincent still clinging to him.

"Yer sure a happy drunk." Cid sighed.

"Nahh...Affectionate." Vincent corrected with a chuckle, "Always have been."

"No shit." Cid laughed, patting Vincent's head, "It's not too bad having you like this. Ya don't have ta be so closed off ya know."

"Hmmm...But it's hard for me." Vincent sighed.

"Right..." Cid nodded, understanding how that could be.

"I trust you though. I trust you enough not to worry about being like this in front of you." Vincent smiled. Cid watched Vincent press his face into Cid's chest.

"Do you know Chaos's singing sucks." Vincent muttered and Cid suddenly bolted up.

"Oh Shiva!They're drunk too, aren't they?"

"Yup. 'S rather loud." Vincent muttered and Cid laughed.

"I can see why you don't drink too much." He laughed.

"Should we go to bed? She'll be up by seven at least." Vincent asked and sighed, "It's a shame though. I like this. You're so warm." Vincent muttered, his eyes starting to flutter close. He yawned and held onto Cid, drowsiness settling over him like a nice warm blanket.

"Come on Vin." Cid laughed pulling Vincent up.

"Nuuu." Vincent whimpered and pouted, "Just a bit longer."

Cid sighed and shifted a bit. He pulled Vincent close, hooking his arms under the other man and stood.

Vincent was lighter then he expected, so it wasn't too much trouble getting over the safety net and then walked up the steps. He was soon in front of Vincent's bedroom door when Vincent spoke up.

"Is it...Is it weird for me to want to stay in your bed?" Vincent muttered. Cid stopped and looked down at the gunman to see his face flushed red.

"Maybe a little." Cid admitted but regretted it as Vincent seemed to shrink under embarrassment, "But I dunna mind!"

"You...Don't?" Vincent asked, looking up at him. He seemed...So vulnerable right now, though Cid knew that Vincent could snap him in half if he wanted to.

"Hell naw!" Cid said honestly, "It's depressin' ta go ta bed alone. I know so!" He grunted and then headed to his room with Vincent in tote. He put Vincent down on his bed, feeling the gunman's hands run over his back for a moment, though Vincent was careful not to nick anything with his clawed arm. Cid let Vincent hold onto for a little bit, those long elegant fingers tickling the back of Cid's neck as he played with some of his blonde hair. He pulled away though, letting Cid pull himself up a bit.

The two stared at each other for awhile, their faces only an inch apart, something hot and heavy rushing through their veins with each heart beat. They seemed to slowly get closer and closer to each other, whiskey putting a soft warm blanket over commonsense. It was when he was an inch away from Vincent's eyes that Cid remembered that this was Vincent and that this wasn't a right thing to do.

"I can't." Cid muttered.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize." Cid growled out, "I just can't do this...Not yet."

"Not yet?"

"Not yet." Cid sighed, pressing his head to Vincent's collar bone. "Just wait, just a bit longer, okay? Wait till I'm ready and we're sober."

"Okay." Vincent nodded and then leaned up, pressing his lips to Cid's cheek before giggling, "Your stubble tickles."

"Shut up and go to sleep. You're such a girl when your drunk." Cid laughed and started to get ready for bed.

XVCVCVCVCVCVCX

Vincent woke up the next day with no memory of the night before and woke up to quite a shock. It wasn't every day he woke up in Cid's bed with no idea of what happened the night before, a slight head ache and Luci gurgling away on the baby monitor. At first he figured that Cid had put the baby monitor in his room, though he wasn't too sure how the hell he got to bed. He did remember having some drinks with Cid, so he probably got drunk, which explains why he didn't remember going to bed, but what the hell was wrapped around his waist?

Vincent slowly opened his eyes to come face to face with a sleeping Cid. So the thing around is waist was Cid's arm. Before he could freak out, Vincent tried to get his bearings. He was completely clothed, Cid had on his sleeping pants, and apart from his head ache, Vincent was in no real pain.

Right...So they didn't have sex. They just slept in the same bed. Okay.

He got up with a groan and then looked at the baby monitor. She was up, that much was clear. He looked at Cid and gave him a sharp elbow to the side.

"Cid, get up." He hissed.

"Hmmm...Whut?" Cid grumbled, opening one tiered eye.

"Get up. Luci's up and she'll want to be fed soon." Vincent muttered, rubbing his eyes. "By the way, did I do anything stupid last night?"

"You don't remember?" Cid asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh god. I knew I shouldn't of had the second the drink!" Vincent whimpered as he hugged his knee's.

"It's fine. You just hugged me a lot. Yer a friggen girl when yer drunk." Cid laughed, getting up and stretched. Scratching his ass, he made his way to Luci's room. Vincent sighed and then looked down to see he shredded a pillow in his sleep.

"Damn it." He growled, glaring at his clawed hand.

Once Vincent got himself out of bed and drank some water, he headed for the kitchen. Cid had Luci up in a high chair, already feeding her some green baby mush.

"Come on Lu, ya got ta swallow it!" Cid pouted as she once more spitted out some mushy pea puree.

"She doesn't like it." Vincent yawned, starting to make coffee.

"Well what does she like?" Cid growled out, looking annoyed.

"Carrots." Vincent supplied as he pulled out a mug from the cabinet, "And mashed potato's. She also like apple sauce, that pineapple mash Miss Hubb makes...She just doesn't like the pea puree."

"And I picked this crap up thinking it'd be good for her." Cid sighed, throwing the jar in the bin and got up to grab a jar of carrot puree while Luci flailed her arms and gurgled away.

"Having fun?" Vincent asked as he sat down behind Luci. She stared up at Vincent, toothlessly gumming at her own hand and then let out a happy squeal, grabbing for him with her free hand. Vincent chuckled, giving her his human hand. She happily started to gum in his index finger.

"We're going to have to get a teething ring soon." Vincent laughed as she happily went about her task of trying to mutilate his finger with her soft gums. Those gums wouldn't stay soft for long though.

"Oh, she's goin' ta get teeth soon, ain't she?"

"Don't know. We should look it up, but we need to be prepared." Vincent shrugged and pulled his finger free from her mouth. She let out a fussy whine only to be quieted by a spoonful of mashed up carrots. She hummed happily as she slurped down the orange mush.

They where interrupted by Vincent's cell phone ringing. Sighing, Vincent pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. Reeve...He flipped it opened.

"Hello Reeve."

"Hello Vincent. How are you?"

"Well, just woke up. But you've not called to talk, are you?"

"No. No I am not. I am sorry to ask this of you, seeing as you're helping Cid, but we need you for a mission."

Vincent sighed. He had expected this call eventually. He looked over at Cid and Luci, Cid opening his mouth wide as shoved the small spoon into her mouth.

"I knew you'd ask some time or another. What's the mission?" He asked, smiling a bit as Luci spat some orange mush into Cid's eye.

"We've found a new underground lab. We're going to pair you up with a new Turk Rufus insisted on sending."

(End of Chapter one.)


	2. A Mission part 1

Rufus Shin-Ra leaned back in his office chair, his blonde hair loose around his face, a difference from how he normally wore it, slicked back and out of the way. His blue eyes where fixed out his office window, light filtering in through the slatted blinds and lit up his pale face. The braces on his legs clicked as he crossed them. Since the Shin-Ra building in Junon had fallen on Rufus, he was unable to walk without assistance of some sorts. The doctors in which he was in the care of suspected he would never walk at all. The stubborn blonde quickly proved them wrong.

Of course he would of never gotten to the hospital with out help. He remembered clearly when the rubble has been lifted from his broken body, the sharp light that suddenly rained down upon him rousing him from a fitful unconsciousness. When his eyes fluttered open he came face to face with his savior. A dark haired woman with glowing mako blue eyes, sweat making her hair cling to her forehead as a large piece of rubble rested over her straining shoulder.

"Can ya move?" She panted, her cheeks flushed from exertion.

"I...I'll try." He hissed, trying to pull himself forwards only to have hot pain stab through his being. He let out a yell, but didn't stop. He found he couldn't move his legs, but didn't bother with it yet as he used his arms to drag himself out from under the rubble. With an exhausted sigh, he flopped down. He heard a grunt and then a slamming sound as the rubble was dropped back down.

"You did good. I'm pretty sure you can't walk though..." The woman said, kneeling down beside Rufus.

"My legs..." Rufus groaned, trying to look down at them only to have his face pulled back up.

"You don't want to see them." She told him sternly and then sighed. "Well, I'm going to have to pick you up, okay? We need to get you out of here."

"Okay." He nodded.

"I am going to roll you onto your back, alright? It's going to hurt quite a bit, but you can not look down at your legs, got it?" She told him, voice firm.

"Alright. I am guessing they're pretty bad." He muttered.

"I don't need you to go into shock if you aren't already." She sighed and then put her hands under his right side. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, three...two...one, rollin' over!" She slowly rolled him over, more pain shooting up from his legs, hips, back, and just about everywhere. He let out a loud yell as the pain hammered his body.

"Fuck!" He hissed, breathing harshly through his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Yeah, I know bud, I know." She sighed, looking down at Rufus. "Okay, I need you to put your arms around my neck when I have my back to you. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

With his help, she got the both out of the building through a secret route he remembered when the way she came in became blocked by falling rubble. Unfortunately he passed out before he could ask her name. When he awoke, he was at the hospital being seen to by a rather annoyed looking nurse. When he asked how he got there the nurse snappily told him that a woman by the name of Jinx had drug him in.

He later found out that wasn't her real name. Which was obvious because Jinx was a highly unusual name in any language, but he still often wondered about the woman as he laid in his hospital bed. He wondered about a lot of things while stuck in that bed. Apart from that one question he asked the nurse, he said no more for a very long time, even when his Turks had found him and gave him full report of what kind of mess the world (and Shin-Ra) was in.

He did not speak, he only looked out the window. He wasn't too sure if he slept, he must of, but he never remembered dreaming, only replaying the events of the last month or so when he was the president of the most powerful electric company in the world. Everything had fallen apart so easily and he had little to do with hit apart from having his men run around like headless chickens and trying to slow down the only people that could save the world and salvage something from the mess Shin-Ra had made.

Because Shin-Ra was at fault. He could see it clearly. His father had, with no qualms, funded a mad man's work because that mad man could make him money, then drained the vital life blood of the world to also build unto his wealth and then finally, used an emotionally unstable man, who had been trained from birth to be a fighting machine, to hold the world in his iron grip. So many dark secrets still lurked in the shadows, so many secrets that Rufus did not know anything about. Did he want to find out those secrets? Did he even have any right to even be alive now?

He wondered theses things for many, many weeks until finally the nurse who had snapped at him the day he woke up sauntered right on in to give him more pain medication.

"Look 't choo, Mister High and Mighty Shin-Ra, president of the world!" She said with a sarcastic shrill, "Why Jinx even bothered dragging you out the rubble is a mystery to me."

"Who...Is she?"

The nurse stared at Rufus for a moment and sat down.

"Dunna know. She sorta rolled in one day out of the blue, all tore up and half starved. An old couple took her in and she, in return, helped fix up their house. Soon after she rolled on back out to go and work for the guy in Fort Condor. She came back recently when the egg on the fort hatched. Said she had no more reason to be there, they weren't going to pay her anymore now that Shin-Ra was gone." The nurse told him. Rufus remembered Fort Condor. His father was adamant on getting that reactor back, but the locals wouldn't let him near. Something about a giant bird nesting on top of the reactor.

"Anyways, she just wondered on back in, asking if anyone needed odd jobs done and she had one large golden feather on one of her swords. She's been doing odd jobs around town here and there, staying with the old couple that took in before. When your building went down from the WEPON attack she was the first person to suggest searching for survivors. She was the only one." The nurse picked up a pillow case and started to fold it, a smile on her wrinkled on her face. "Of course, the rest of us where against it. Who would want to try and help the very people who destroyed out town?"

Rufus winced at that. It was true, Shin-Ra destroyed the economy of many towns like Junon. He could argue that they had brought Shin-Ra jobs to the place, but even he knew they hardly hired anyone from the town and often just sent almost unlimited personnel had already.

"So why did you?" He asked, noticing his voice sounded horrible and horse from lack of use and general fatigue.

"She said as blunt as could be, said we'd be just as bad as Shin-Ra if we didn't help." The nurse laughed, "You should of seen her, standing in front of the strongest men in town and scolding them like an angry mother and didn't even show a hint of fear. She's a tough girl that one."

"Yeah." Rufus muttered, his mind floating back to the first time he saw her, her eyes glowing an inhuman mako blue. "She's not normal."

"What?" The Nurse frowned.

"Her eyes, they're the colour that you only get when putting mako into the blood stream. And I only know of one place you can do that."

"Shin-Ra."

"The SOLDER program." Rufus said, sitting up, "She was apart of us." 

"Dunna know. Maybe she's been hurt by Shin-Ra." The nurse sighed, leaning back, "You've got no idea how many young men I've seen shipped off to Shin-Ra only to come back from the Wutai war with PTSD and with those hollow, glowing eyes. Many never got the life back in their eyes, even many more took their own lives. She's has that look in her eyes from time to time."

He found out the nurse's name was Miss May. She was in her late 50's and has been working at the hospital as long as anyone could remember. After talking to her, Rufus started to talk his men again, sitting up and sorting out the mess that was before him. First thing he did was have all the reactors shut down, deploying all the personnel that had not deserted to take care of that task. But he was still confused what to do with himself. He often wondered if he should just clean up the mess and then sink back into the shadows and live his life in total loneliness.

But first he had to fix this and maybe...Maybe find out who this woman was and thank her. Maybe. If he ever got the guts to. Man he was such a miserable wretch, only now he could see it.

"Where is Jinx?" Rufus asked, Miss May scuttling in as he shuffled through papers.

"Dunna know. She just left as soon as we got you and the other men out." She said with a shrug, "Does that a lot."

Rufus didn't reply right away to that. After more shuffling of paper, he chewed his lip and finally asked out loud the one question that had been bothering him for quite some time.

"What do I do?"

"What do you do what?" Was Miss May's smart ass reply.

"What do I do with myself?"

"Aren't you doing something with yourself now?" Again Miss May fired off another smart ass reply. She sort of reminded Rufus of a nanny from Costa Del Sol that he had when he was a child. She often swore in a different language and would scold Rufus. That nanny was only thing Rufus had even close to a mother. Maybe that why he felt comfortable enough to speak like this to the woman.

Or maybe he was getting soft.

"I meant after I've fixed all of this." He sighed.

"Well...I can't tell you that." She said, giving him a shrug, "That's all up to you."She said simply, "I've not got that answer."

"Thought not." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sorry hun."

Rufus spent a good year in that bed, trying to fix the world from that bed and seemingly content that he would never walk again. Till she walked in through that door.

"I'd of never guessed the boy I dragged out from that building was Rufus Shin-Ra." She said, wearing a black tank top, dark jeans and belted to her hips where three short katanas, a golder feather attached to the hilt of one.

"I'm hardly a boy." He said coolly, looking up from the papers on his lap, his reading glasses glinting in the light of the room.

"I wouldn't say that. You're barely a man. You can't be older then 25." She chuckled, her mako blue eyes glittering, but they looked rather hollow.

"You don't look any older then me." Rufus shot back, keeping his cool.

"I'm older then I look." She smirked, pushing a strand of dark hair out of her face, "But tell me, what is the mighty Rufus Shin-Ra is doing here, sitting around and withering away?"

"I am fixing the mess my family made." Rufus hissed, giving her the best glare he had.

"What I see is a man hiding behind paper work and ordering others to do the work." She said, that shit-eating smirk ever present on her face. "Have you even considered ever stepping out of that bed?" She asked.

"Why don't you tell me how the fuck I can do that with dead legs!" He roared. She had succeeded in causing Rufus Shin-Ra to loose his cool.

Striding over to him, she placed a hand on his left thigh. "Can you feel that?"

"Of course." He hissed. She slipped her hand down to his knee.

"How about now?"

"Of course." He huffed, rolling his eyes. She ran her hands up and down both legs.

"See? You can feel your legs, hell I am pretty sure you could twitch your toes if you tried hard enough. Only thing keeping you here is what the doctors say." She said and then looked him dead in the eyes.

He tried to glare, but turned his head away as a tide of emotions rolled over him.

"What...What the hell do you want?" He hissed.

"I know you're stewing away in that bed, trying to figure out what the hell to do with yourself, but don't snap at me." She laughed, flipping her hair out of face.

"So what the hell do you want me to do?" He yelled, throwing the paperwork on his lap into the air.

"I've been hearing whispers about something." She said, looking him dead in the eye as papers fluttered around her, " About a man named Reeve."

"Reeve?" Rufus muttered. Yes, he remembered Reeve. A nervous man that was very easy to manipulate and he was easy to twist into doing what he wanted...Till he grew a conscience and a god damn back bone.

"Reeve. I heard that he's setting up a organization called...The WRO I think." She said, leaning back a bit, "But it's got little funding. No surprise. Everyone is in the shit hole now."

"What are you trying to say?" He asked with a frown.  
>"Shin-Ra, though considered dead now, still have very, very deep pockets." She said with a grin. He looked at her, the pieces falling into place.<p>

"You want me to...Fund Reeve?" He gaped.

"If you think it is the right thing to do. Of course there are things that only the Turks and SOLDER can take care of. There are many dark underground things that Shin-Ra has been hiding for many, many years, but there has to be something else there too." She explained, standing up, "Something there for the people, something to give them hope and protection! That is what Reeve is willing to do."

Rufus gritted his teeth and glared at her.

"Why are you here? Do you think that because you saved my life that I will bow to your whims?" He demanded.

"No, I am here to tell you the facts and let you do the right thing...If you are capable to do so." She chuckled and then looked down at him. It was the smirk on her face that infuriated him.

Ever since the accident, his felt as if his control of things had been feeble at the best and now she was teasingly dangling her control over him in front of him without a hint of remorse. He just wanted to push her down and wipe that smirk off her face and make her scream. He pushed those thoughts aside as they where only a distraction at this point. 

"If that is all you have to say, get the fuck out of my fucking hospital room!" He yelled, seething in anger.

"Tempter, temper." She teased and leaned close to him, "You may want me to leave now, I am sure you'll be demanding me back soon enough. But I wonder...Will I come back without a fight?" With that, she pulled away and headed for the door, walking past Tseng as he stepped in.

The senior Turk looked shocked at the presence of the woman, but soon collected himself.

"I will not ask why you had a woman in your room sir, but I am here to inform you that Mr. Tuesti wishes to have a meeting with you." Tseng said stiffly.

"I figured as much." Rufus said stiffly, "Set up a meeting and then talk to the medical staff about starting me on physical therapy. I want to be standing by the end the of the month."

"Yes sir." Tseng nodded.

"And also dig up some information on the woman who just left the room. She goes by the name Jinx, but it is clear it is a false name and from the look of her eyes, she must have been one of the few women in the SOLDER program."

"Yes sir. I'll see what I can do." Tseng nodded and swept out the room without another word.

It was another year before Rufus could walk with only the help of leg braces. He could only walk for short amount of time before he got exhausted, but he had made more progress then they had expected. And over the course of the year, Tseng had found some files on a woman that matched the description of Jinx. Her name had apparently been Serenity Raito, she was half wutaianese, joined Shin-Ra at the age of 15, at the age of 20, made it to SOLDER, but only made it to 2nd class before she vanished into the wood work during the Genesis incident.

Having his Turks drag her in had been the hard part. She had taken up living in a small hut near Gongaga and was making a living doing odd jobs for the village. Mostly killing dangerous monsters that crawled out the destroyed reactor once in awhile. Rufus has sent Two Guns and Katana to bring her back to the base only to have his two Turk stumble back all battered up. Next had been Nunchaku, then Knives, Shotgun and finally he sent his female martial artist. She had managed to drag the woman in finally

Jinx was an expert swordsman with speed and precision, but the martial artist had both enough speed to keep up with Jinx and the strength to knock her ass out! So she had been dragged into Rufus's office to find the blonde man standing in front of his window.

"Just like I thought, you dragged me back." She sighed, folding her arms. Her face was bruised, lip split and her left eye was swollen shut. She had taken one hell of a beating, that was for sure.

"You, Miss. Raito, have been causing much trouble for my Turks and they had been very polite to you till you got violent." Rufus said coolly, looking Jinx over. Dispite being bruised and battered, she looked pretty good in the outfit she had on. The black tank top she had on clung to her small breasts, her jeans clung to shapely hips and her heeled boots made her legs and ass look glorious. Apart form lacking in the chest department, she wasn't bad looking.

"Oh, so you've done a background check, how quaint!" She said, voice dripping with sarcasm and then folded her arms with a pissed look on her face. "What the hell do you want?"

"I am offering you a job." Rufus smirked.

"Excuse me?" She squeaked (for her voice had decided to get higher in her shock), a completely baffled look on her face. "What makes you think I'll go back to Shin-Ra. I left if you didn't see that on the report!"

"Because, you're stewing away in Gongaga, going insane because you know you could do more." Rufus said, now the one with the shit-eating grin on his face. He had her this time.

"So what? You want to me to be one of your lackeys to help you control the world? I think not. I got out of Shin-Ra because of it's grip on the world and how much damage it did!" She hissed.

"No. I need your help to destroy the hidden labs and I know you've been to them. After all, there is case notes from Hojo in your files saying you where unresponsive to the Janova cells."

Jinx frowned and gritted her teeth. "Yeah...I've only been to one in Midgar. I don't know where the others are and there are at lest four more just under Midgar. There is probably many more all over the place! "

"Still, if we can find one, we can find more." Rufus replied, sitting down and rested his chin on his laced hands. "I am offering you a job as a Turk. You'll get payed more then you did as a SOLDER and don't worry...We don't do assignations anymore."

"But you'll own me." She pouted.

"You'll be helping the world. Who knows what kinds of monsters are in those labs."

"...If I do this I want an apartment in Edge and you've got to pay for all my bills on top of my pay checks!" She demanded.

"Alright. But that makes you my Turk till you die." He grinned.

"Fine!" She held out her hand and spat on it, holding it out to it. "We'll spit on it."

With a very disgusted look on his face, Rufus spat into his hand and shook hers.

Now she was walking through his door, wearing her Turk uniform as normally did, with nothing but a black bikini top under her suit coat and her black hair was tied back in a pony tail, a few wisps of curly hair framing her face.

"You asked for me sir." She said, closing the door behind her and locked it.

"Yes. You'll be going to one of the underground labs with Vincent Valentine and Tifa Lockheart. The lab is in Nibelheim, we're hoping to find out if there is any more Sephiroth copy's like Kadaj and his brothers still floating around."

"I see. So why did you ask me to lock the door?" She asked, folding her arms and popped her hip out to the side. Rufus smirked, pulling his black tie off.

"Come over here and find out." He teased.

"How unprofessional." She sighed, pulling her hair loose, "You better have condoms. We made a mess last time and Tseng gave me shit about it." She said, straddling the blonde man.

"I do." He replied, nipping her ear just to pull a gasp from her lips.

XVCVCVCVCVCVCX

Putting on his red cloak, Vincent couldn't help think that this situation looked an awful lot like a husband going off on a long work trip and leaving his wife and child at home. Of course, Cid wasn't the typical house wife. The thought of Cid as a house wife brought a smile to Vincent's face and he tried not to laugh.

"I hope yer not smilin' cuz yer happy ta git away from us." Cid teased as he held Luci who was waving around a toy plane.

"No. I just thought of a funny joke." Vincent said, patting Luci's head.

"Ya know, ya've been smilin' a whole lot since ya started to stay here." Cid commented.

"I'm happy." Vincent replied, "I like it here. I've always been happy here."

"Oh." Cid didn't really know what to say to that.

A knock at the door soon pulled them out o the awkward silence that had fallen over them. Cid rolled his eyes, letting Vincent hold Luci as he opened the front door, only to be hugged hard by Tifa.  
>"Cid!" She laughed, squeezing him tight enough to make his ears pop.<p>

"Shit Teef!" Cid grunted, "Dun pop mah ribs out of place now woman." He hissed.

"Oops!" She laughed, letting go and scratched the back of her head, "I'm too used to hugging Cloud and Barret."

Tifa's hair was pulled back into a low pony tail it trailing almost to her lower back. She was growing it out again and Cid had to admit, it looked good on her. She was dressed in her normal black outfit with cargo shorts, it giving her more modesty then the tank top and mini skirt. Some days Cid missed that ol' tank top she had, it made her...Well never mind. He thought of her more as a sister now and he found his eyes wondering over another brunette's frame, rather then hers.

He still didn't know what to make of his feelings for Vincent. Not yet. The wounds where still fresh from Shera's death, but there was no crime in looking at the gunman, and he really was glad to have his help around the house...Even though they argued about the stupidest things, like Cid leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor or leaving a mess in the kitchen sink. Vin could be such a nag! But Luci loved the death out the man. Even now she was playing with his hair and gurgling at him.

"Oh!" Tifa squealed when she saw the baby in Vincent's arm, "She's gotten so big!"

"Yes, she's grown fast. Tell me Tifa, why are you here?" Vincent asked, letting the busty woman hold Luci, who was babbling at Tifa like she could understand her gibberish.

"Oh, I am coming on the mission with you." Tifa smiled, "They need a guide through the Nibelheim mountains. That's there the lab is, under the old reactor." She said.

"Makes sense." Vincent agreed.

"Right-" Cid pulled Luci up out of Tifa's arms, "You'd best git goin' 'fore ya decide ta kidnap mah daughter." Cid teased.

"Oh fine." Tifa laughed.

"Be sure Vin dun do something stupid." Cid smiled, looking back at the gunman.

"I assure you Chief, I'll be back in once piece." Vincent said and with that stepped out the house.

"Chatty as ever. See you soon." Tifa smiled and skipped off after.

"Ya can stay for tea after ya get back!" Cid yelled after Tifa, "Ya can tell me if ya've gotten Barret ta settle down wif yet!"

She only gave him a giggle in reply and blew him a kiss.

Outside of Rocket Town the Highwind sat waiting for Vincent. He swept through the airship, waving hello to all the crew members, even greeting some by name, though he did not know a few of the WRO members that were on board. Vincent was caught by surprise when Seth popped up and patted his back.

"Mr. Valentine!" The tan man grinned, "How ya been? How da captain and Luci doin?"

"Fine. Both are well."

"Ya got ta learn how ta hold da conversation Sir." Seth frowned.

"Well I sure can." Tifa said, "Luci's gotten so big and Vincent has Cid on his toes at all times. The house is cleaner then ever!"

"Oh!" Seth smiled and linked arms with Tifa, the two walking and talking at the same time.

**Gal pals. **Was the thought that popped into Vincent's head as he watched the two walk off.

Reeve spun around when Vincent stepped onto the bridge.

"Ah Vincent. You look well." He smiled, greeting Vincent with a warm handshake-pull-into-man-hug-thing. Vincent said nothing, but noticed Cait being hugged by a Turk in the corner. He was surprised that he recognized her. She had been an mercenary at Fort Condor! He remembered her because she had been the only mercenary who was a woman and also the only one to used swords, not a gun.

He also had noticed her eyes. Even now they glowed mako blue. They had talked on one occasion (Or rather Cid talked to her and Vincent listened) when asked why she had not used a gun she explained that her aim was horrible and had been trained with a sword since a young age. On further questioning she went on to explain that she left Shin-Ra during the Genesis incident because she had talked to a man from AVALANCH who explained to her about mako and that if they sucked up too much, the world would die. She had seemed like a very honorable person, or at least that was what Vincent thought.

She was, at the moment, pulling on one of Cait's ears and giggling.

"Oh my Shiva, it feels so real!" She laughed and then nuzzled the back of the cat's head as it struggled.

"Git yer hands off meh lassie!" The cat yelled, trying to swat her hands away. "Reeve help me! Sexual Harasment! SEXUAL HARASSMENT!"

Reeve laughed at their antics.

"Vincent this is-"

"I know her." Vincent said softly, "We met at Fort Condor."

Jinx looked up, her black hair falling around her face and her eyes were bright as always.

"Oh! Mr. Valentine, right?" She asked, standing up straight with Cait still in her arms.

"Correct. You seemed to have made quite a career change since we last met Miss Jinx." Vincent said softly.

"Yeah. It's a long story that I'd rather not get into." She admitted, playing with one of Cait's ears.

"Well now that you two have said hello, why don't we head for the conference room? We need to explain the mission." Reeve said, smiling as always. He was such a nice man, Vincent still wondered how the hell the man made it in Shin-Ra.

The conference room hadn't changed since they first started their adventures as Shin-Ra. Vincent could remember clearly when they stole the Highwind from right under Shin-Ra's nose with help from the crew itself. The crew stayed with ship through thick and thin, even now, though there where a few new faces on board.

Reeve stood at the end of the long table that was set up in the room, his blue coat resting on the back of a chair, so he only stood in his pants and a button up shirt. Jinx was beside him setting up something on the large screen behind him. After a moment or two of fiddling around, a picture flicked onto the screen of the Nibelhiem mountains. Tifa was sitting in a chair across from Vincent and looked at the picture on the screen with a sheen of sadness in her eyes. She made no other sign of being upset.

"Right so as you know we recently had a mission to the Midgar ruins to check a lab there, but unfortunately we where unable to get inside due to the fact the door was lock. We are hoping that the key might be in this lab, though if it isn't we might find out some more information. There was notes from Dr. Grimoire Valentine in the lab at Kalm and he spoke a lot about the demons that Vincent currently contains, Omega and a project that he was working on with Hojo. We think the results from that project are in one of the labs under Midgar." Reeve explaned.

"There is more then one lab under Midgar?" Tifa frowned.

"At least five." Jinx quipped up, "Hojo had at least two while Hollander and Gast had one each and then there was the one that Grimoire had."

Vincent seemed to stiffen at the mention of the man. His father had been a scientist for Shin-Ra. When Vincent had joined the Turks, he was sure not to have any missions with or near the man. He was unable to face the man and regretted it greatly when he had died.

"Anyways, the lab under the reactor in Nibelhiem was the main lab for most of Hojo's experiments with the Janova cell's. Keeping this in mind we must be aware that there might be a few Remnants in this lab. The only reason we found the lab was that there where reports of someone with silver hair leaving the town." Reeve sighed, "The Turks are currently looking into the story and are trying to the person."

"Our mission today is to gather information, clear out anything dangerous and then when we've assessed the situation, we'll get a crew down to properly explore the place, check up on files, hack some computers, you know...All that good junk." Jinx shrugged.

"Right. So Tifa's job will be to get us through the mountains to the reactor quickly. The entrance to lab should be at the bottom of the lab, so Vincent, it would be nice if you go first seeing as you can make full use of Chaos's wings and spot a way for us to get down without danger." Reeve said, nodding to Vincent, who nodded back to say that he was fine with that plan.

"Alright! So we're all set right?" Jinx asked, grabbing Cait once more and hugged the robotic cat tight.

"Yes, I think that is all for now. This mission is rather simple." Reeve said with a smile as Cait started to struggle.

"Let meh go woman!" Cait yelled.

"Nu uh! Never!" Jinx giggled.

XVCVCVCVCVCVCX

Nibelhiem was now a ghost town, no one lived there, but the houses where still standing. After the Meteor incident, the actors that Shin-Ra had set up in the small mountain town had cleared out, having no source of income anymore and decided to go and find somewhere to start anew. Vincent and Reeve with the male members of the the WRO team Reeve brought set up sleeping quarters in the old inn in the town while Tifa had offered up her old house to the female members, who where pretty few.

They got to the town as the sun started to set, so the decided not to take the dangerous trek through the mountains during the night. Vincent and Reeve where set up in the same room for the night

"So, how has life been now you are living with Cid." Reeve asked, sitting on the bed across from the one Vincent had claimed, the enigmatic man strode shirtless out from the bathroom. Vincent was drying his hair with one hand and a towel.

"Fine." Was the answer that Vincent supplied to Reeve.

"Honestly Vincent, you can talk to me." Reeve said with a smile. He was always smiling! Something about that smile made Vincent's guts squirm. It was like the smile his mother gave him when she knew something he had been hiding.

"It's not perfect." Vincent sighed, sitting on his bed.

"Oh?" Was the only think Reeve said, looking amazed and raised his eyebrows.

"We argue. About small things, though normally we have to stop because Luci tends to start to cry if our voices get too loud." Vincent admitted, playing with the corner of the blanket he sat on.

"Well that is normal for anyone that live together. You look happy though. Happier then you've been in a long time." Reeve observed, "Even Tifa says you've been smiling more.

"Yes." Vincent nodded and then looked out the window, saying no more.

Knowing he'd not get anymore out of Vincent, let it drop, happy that he had talked to him. Reeve liked to think he was Vincent's friend, hell everyone's friend who had been in AVALANCHE. He had spent many nights up late during the meteor incident, listening to the troubles of the other members of the group and giving some sort of advice. Though he had not been there with them in person, he liked to think he had been there in spirit and had consoled them in some sort of way.

Tifa on the other hand was sharing her room with Jinx. The Turk had managed to grab ahold of Cait and though she made him stay in the closet while they had changed, she was now using him has a teddy to cuddle during the night.

"You're strange." Tifa said as she watched the woman snuggle under the blankets of the futon on the floor with the robotic cat.

"Yes, but it is the reason I am still sane." Jinx said with a sad smile. "I've been through a lot."

"Yeah. Vincent told me you where in SOLDER." Tifa said, hugging her knees.

"It feels almost a lifetime ago." Jinx sighed, "Man I am old."

"No way! You don't look a day over 26!" Tifa laughed, shaking her head.

"I'm 34." Jinx said with a grin.

"No way!" Tifa gasped, "But you look so young!"

"It's the mako." Jinx sighed, "Slows the aging process or something. At least on the outside. My insides look like a 34 year old's, but the outside is still pretty. I'll probably die at 80 and still look 40 or something."

"Wow. I've never thought of that. Now that I think of it, Cloud still looks pretty young." Tifa admitted.

"Oh, Mr. Strife? I remember seeing him. It always did strike me odd that he claimed to be a first class and I never heard of him." Jinx said softly, "The first classes where the only ones that people really knew. The third and second classes where sorta no names that drifted here and there, the firsts where the hero's of SOLDER."

"Wow." Tifa gasped, scooting a bit closer to Jinx, "So, you only made it to second class?"

"Yeah. I left soon after I made second. I worked so hard for it only to find out that I had done it under false pretenses. I thought that mako would make the world better but in the end, it was killing the planet."

"Shin-Ra fooled everyone." Tifa hissed.

"Yes, but now Shin-Ra is trying to fix the mess it started." Jinx chuckled, "Or at least I hope so. If I find out Rufus has been lying to me, he's a dead man. I can say that much."

Tifa gasped, she had never heard a Turk talk about Rufus in such an informal way.

"What?" Jinx asked, looking confused.

"You called him Rufus, not Sir or President!" Tifa gaped.

"Oh. I guess I should call him something like that, but I just can't do it. He's so young." Jinx lied. Last thing she needed was everyone knowing she was sleeping with man causally!

"I see." Tifa nodded. "So...You use three katanas. Where you trying to copy Sephiroth? His sword was similar to yours."

"No. I learned the art of the sword from my mother." Jinx smiled, "I've never even seen Sephiroth during my time at Shin-Ra, thats how much of a no name I was!" She laughed.

"Wow. That kinda sucks." Tifa agreed.

"Yeah, but I made good friends. My old mento, Go, she was a good lady. But...She had been one of Hojo's experiments. She was taken back to one of the labs when he deemed her malfunctioning. He had intended her to be an emotionless fighting machine, but...Well, slowly, bit by bit, I was able to show her the joy in life." Jinx said with a small smile.

"I remember the first time I saw her smile...She'd eaten ice cream for the first time and said, I quote, 'this must be what sunshine tastes like'." Jinx sighed, her eyes becoming wet, "She was taken away soon after that."

Tifa bit her lip, deciding weather to comfort her or not. Cait, who had been listening the entire time, was wiping a stray tear away.

"Now, now lassie. Dunna cry. You'll break mah heart." The cat cooed. She let out a small laugh and kissed the cat's nose.

"Thank you." She said softly and then looked up as Tifa walked over and started to rub her back.

"It's okay. We all lost someone because of Hojo." Tifa consoled her. "Hojo destroyed a lot of lives and made a lot of monsters."

"Yeah. He got off too easy." Jinx sighed.

"Well we should get to bed." Tifa exclaimed, "We've got an early start."

"That we do!" Cait agreed. Jinx smiled and wrapped her arms around Cait, laying down on the futon by Tifa's bed while Tifa switched the light off.

XVCVCVCVCVCVCX

Jinx woke up with a groan, rolling onto her side as an alarm buzzed above her head. She was so warm and it was just too damn early!

"Ruuuuuuuuuu! Turn your damn alarm off." She moaned, "Too early!"

"Who's Ru?"

Jinx jolted up, finally remembering where the hell she was.

"My cat!" She yelled, face red.

"Uh huh..." Tifa said with a disbelieving look, but didn't push the subject as she shut off the alarm on her cell phone.

Everyone has gathered outside the Shin-Ra mansion, Vincent leaning on the wall outside the mansion.

"Okay, we're going to split up into two groups. Vincent, Tifa, Jinx and Cait shall be group one. They will be clearing the path of the stronger monsters." Reeve smiled.

Vincent pushed himself off the wall, walking over to Tifa and Jinx (Jinx holding Cait still) and nodded at Reeve.

(End of Chapter Two.)

A/N

Ooooh! You get an Authors Note this time! Exciting! I am hoping Jinx isn't met with too much dislike and if you do like her, and you ask for it, I will put up a fic of her back story. It is already being planned by me and friend who has rped with Jinx quite a few times. I've noticed that this story has gotten a lot of faves and alerts, but very few reviews. Review man! It's what I write for!

This chapter focuses more on setting the ground work for events to come later on, and the next chapter shall explain some of the things Hojo and Grimoire worked on together, apart from Omega and give some detail on Vinny's past. Though do not worry, we will get back to Luci and the Valenwind lovin' soon enough!

Now to the two people who reviewed me!

To Tanryoku, thank you very much! I am glad you liked how I made the character interactions. I tried to make them sound as real and true to their character as I could. I will keep on writing as much as I can.

To Spoons, I didn't intend it to be so long, but it ended up being 11 pages! This chapter is a whopping 12 pages and was going to be more, so I decided to split it into two so it wouldn't get too tedious to read! I also love including humor into things because if it's too serious, I find it boring. I am glad that you loved reading the first chapter and I hope you'll enjoy the second chapter just as much.

Thank you all and Goodnight!


	3. A note to the fans

Okay, so I have been reading over this recently and due to internet issues and what not, I have yet to update this story in some months. This story was written on a spir of the moment. Reading it over I have found that I like the general plot but it needs a revamp and some changes. I am going to be putting in more details to the story and have been looking up premature baby developement to make this more realistic. I will be starting on the revamp of this story soon and I will also be publishing a new story also. Lets hope I can keep up with both! Lolz. Thank you for all the faves and reivews. Hopefully you will like the changes and editing I make over the next month or so.


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